"The Pilgrim" articles appeared in the Tekamah Journal in
1900. Some issues are missing. "Pilgrim" seems to be a wandering
reporter writing about local news. Additional articles will be
added to this page as available. He often included farm news, bits
about "old settlers" & places that "used to be". The identify
of "Pilgrim" has not been stated in the paper.

Thank you to Hal & Theda Haswell, who are assisting
in typing the material for this page.

Surnames have been capitalized to help you scan the articles.
OR use the "find" capability of your browser to search for a
surname.

STILL SOJOURNING WITH THE PEOPLE OF
ARIZONA AND
Finds Much NEWS of Interest

JOURAL (sic) PLEASES THE PEOPLE

The Pilgrim is again in the bailiwick of Arizona. As he left
Tekamah he met Clarence SNYDER who stopped him. Now Clarence
traded the Pilgrim a horse once upon a time but no grudge exists,
especially on Clarence's part, and the Pilgrim hopes he'll repent
and meet him in a "better land." Clarence just sold fifteen head
of cows that he had had but a short time, receiving $36 per head
for them which netted him a nice profit. He now has a fresh cow
with a calf, for sale, and can supply those who want cows with
good ones.

Calling on the McKINNIS brother, the Pilgrim found that they
had sold their farm, which they purchased of Dan FULLER last
spring. Andrew JOHNSON , brother of Joe, is the purchaser. John
has not decided where he will go, but his brother has rented the
Will (Butch) MARR farm.

Joe JOHNSON was found out feeding his hogs. He has about
seventy that will average two hundred apiece and they are all
healthy and doing fine. They would bring him a nice bunch of money
at the present prices. Joe is one of the farmers that keeps making
a little money right along, and he has something to show for it
when its gone, too.

John LATTA was found at home, and after he was convinced he was
not talking to an agent, the Pilgrim succeeded in pulling him from
his shell, and he talked quite freely. John has a pair of yearling
coach colts that have the promise of making a fine team. He lost
about ninety head of hogs with the cholera this winter, but still
has about fifty head left. He has about eighty head of cattle on
feed, seventy-five head of stock cows and forty calves. John took
the Pilgrim out and showed him three steers of his feeding, that
he says will tip the scales at 4600 pounds. The farms on which he
lives, one of the best on the Arizona botton, was sold a few weeks
ago for $43 per acre to L. K. BEAVER of Illinois. Mr. BEAVER owns
considerable Arizona land now, and knows its worth. John will
remain on it another year.

G.A.ROCK was out chopping wood as the Pilgrim drove up. The
vigor with which he still swings his ax would put many a younger
man to shame. He is an old settler in Burt county, coming here and
locating on the place where he lives now, in 1858. He and his good
wife have seen many of the hardships of pioneer life. They are now
hale and hearthy, and have settled down to enjoy the well earned
comforts with which they are surrounded.

Mr. and Mrs. PENCE were found on the John GOODWILL farm. Mr.
PENCE had just returned from a visit at his old home in Illinois,
and it did him good, for he is looking healtier, and in better
flesh, that the Pilgrim remembers seeing him before. He said he
enjoyed his visit very much, and the rest did him much good. Since
coming back he has bought twenty head of Polled Angus cows, of
which he is justly proud, If one is going to keep stock it pays to
keep the best. The condition of things about the yards and
buildings speaks very high of him as a farmer, and, although but a
renter, he keeps things as though the farm were his own.

Wilson CORBIN housed the Pilgrim for the night. He is one of
the boys that is making farming pay. He has three as good teams as
you will find any place, twenty-five good cows, and nine calves
that show the white faces of the Hereford. He has seventy Poland
China hogs and this year has purchased a thoroughbred Duroc male
of MANLEY & Son. He says it is just as easy to raise good
stock as it is poor. How much better it would be for all farmer
thought so? Wilson, with the aid of one man raised about 7000
bushels of corn, 550 bushels of wheat and some oats.

The Pilgrim found that Will KIMBALL was doing much improving at
his place. He built a new barn last fall and will erect a new
house in the spring which will be 18x26 with a kitchen 14x20, for
which he is now hauling lumber. When he gets the house completed,
he will have one of the neatest eighty acre farms in that
neighborhood. He is feeding about twenty-five head of steers and a
nice bunch of hogs.

Will WALDSCHMIDT who lives in one of KIMBALL'S houses, is also
hauling lumber with which to build on a piece of land recently
purchased of C.W. CONKLING, four miles west of Tekamah. He will
move there in the spring.

J. S. KING lives on one of H. C. LYDICK'S farms, and he like
all of Mr. L.s tenants speaks very highly of his landlord. He said
he had seen several copies of the Journal and he is well pleased
with it, as it gave a great deal of county news and he had to
depend almost entirely on his eyes to get the news.

At one of Mr. CORBINS' farms, the Pilgrim found Uncle Beach
BENNETT, and learned that he was acquainted with his (the
Pilgrim's) father forty-three years ago. Mrs. BENNETT was over to
her daughter's Mrs. John COREY's who is very sick.

Geo. CORBIN was found to have been making some improvements at
his place.

At the old LASS farm, Mrs. CHOATS was found very sick. Mr.
CHOATS says that as soon as his wife is able , they will take a
trip east to North Carolina and spend the summer at their old
home, and their son will run the farm.

A stop was made at Peter KESSLER's for dinner where the Pilgrim
surprised the family with the amount of he could devour. Mr. K.
has recently purchased the BURNETT farm of forty acres and will
move there in the spring.

As a good neat farmer Dave DEAVER is one of the best. One
cannot help but notice how clean he keeps the yards around his
buildings. He has just added a new steam feeder for his hogs.
Farmers who have tried the claim it is one of the best investments
a farmer can make. Mr. DEAVER is a member of the new lodge at
Arizona and was one of the committee that met and negotiated with
the M. W. A. whereby the use of the Woodman lodge room, was
secured at the rental rate of $50 per year. The also secured the
use of the lower room for socials or parties, paying for the same
$2 per night.

A. R. TAYLOR was not at home. Mrs. TAYLOR informed the Pilgrim
that their son who was recently married would work the place this
year. A. R. will work another year for the Champion binder people.
Their daughter, MAY, who recently married to Mr. GRAVES, of Omaha
is home on a visit and will return to Omaha in a few weeks, where
she will make her future home. Mrs. TAYLOR will spend the summer
and spring visiting at her old home in Iowa.

N. M. HOLLIDAY was at home and the Pilgrim noticed as he drove
up, some nice young horses and mules. About two years ago he
bought eighty acres of deeded land of John GILL, which added to
his tract of accretion land, makes him a good farm.

L. J. POUND, the great water melon man, was at home and the
Pilgrim's mouth began to water as soon as he saw him. Mr. POUND
keeps two or three teams at work, hauling melons to surrounding
towns during the season. He had the misfortune to have his house
burned down some months ago, but he has a new one erected.

The Pilgrim called at Charley SHAFER's place and found him away
from home. However, he took the liberty to look over his fine
bunch of hogs that are almost ready for market. Afterwards he met
Charley on the road and it was agreed that the good joke should
not be published, not this week at least.

A short stop was made at Randolph GAMBLE's. Randolph is a good,
whole-souled fellow and one of the boys that it does a person good
to meet. Bert SHAFER was here. He is staying at home working his
father's farm. Bert is a good steady young man and should have a
housekeeper. With his permission the Pilgrim will insert in his
next letter, an advertisement for a good looking housekeeper for
him, which certainly will not go long unanswered.

R. S. BRIGGS was called on. He always has been one of the
largest stock feeders in Burt County, but this winter he is only
feeding about forty-four head of cattle. He has nearly three
hundred hogs that promise good returns.

B. R. BANBURY was found clearing a road, through the timber, on
his west line, which will make it much handier for the people of
the neighborhood.

Mart MAYDEN and D.H. LEWIS were found cutting wood on shares
for Mr. BRIGGS. They all want who wish wood delivered, to call
them.

N. B. BANNING is painting the M. W. A. hall in an artistic
style.

Stop was made with Mr. and Mrs. W. T. JONES for dinner. They
have lived in Burt county for twenty-eight years, and they think a
person would travel over considerable county before he would find
as good a farming county.

W. R. NEWTON was found on his large farm in Arizona. He is one
of our farmers who makes his business a study. This winter he is
feeding 141 head of steers, and 150 head of hogs. He has purchased
a new feed grinder and grinds all his feed, about sixty bushels
per day. He says he never got so much out of his grain.

The Pilgrim met, and had a pleasant visit, with Charley
BROUGHTON, Al REEL and Jim CART, all rustling farmers of Arizona.

J. F. BUNDY has one of the neatest little farms in Burt county.
Here, you do not see machinery setting out of doors, to rust and
rot, nor cattle sheltered on the south side of a barbed wire
fence, but substantial barns for all. The fences are all in good
shape and the land shows a state of high cultivation. May Burt
county soon have hundreds of such farmers as Mr. BUNDY.

James BRICKEY was found at home and a pleasant half hour was
spent visiting with him. He informed the Pilgrim he was going away
as soon as he could sell his one hundred acre farm which he is
offering very cheap.

A short visit was made with Mr. BOLING, Mrs. B. had just
returned from Kansas, where she was called by the illness of her
father. Mr. BOLING has 44 head of cattle on full feed; also some
good hogs.

At O. B. LEWIS' ice harvest was in progress. Mr. LEWIS has a
building that holds about 15 tons and he finds it very convenient
to have ice during the hot days of summer. Mr. LEWIS is living on
the Jesse SPIELMAN homestead where he has resides for 13 years,
which speaks exceedingly well for him as a tenant. His daughter,
Mrs. Will CHAPMAN, is up from Omaha, on a visit but will return
home in about a week. One of her sisters will accompany her as she
finds it very lonesome, Mr. CHAPMAN being away most of the time,
having a job with the Milwaukee Harvesting Co.

The Pilgrim found another model farm at Fred MICHAEL's.
Everything here is kept in shape; buildings all painted, fences in
good shape and machinery under cover. Everything has the
appearance of being in the hands of a neat, tasty farmer. Mr. M.
is only feeding about fourteen head of cattle this winter but he
has about 125 head of hogs. He also has some very fine horses and
fact all his stock is in keeping with the farm.

Art BAKER was caught shelling corn. He will sell about 2,500
bushels of corn this year and have left what he needs to feed. He
lives on one of his fathers (sic) farms and has a large, fine
residence which was erected for him last fall.

Roy BAKER lives on the old home place. By many, this is
considered the best farm on the bottom. With the help of one man
he raised 4,500 bushels of corn, 650 bushels of wheat besides
several hundred bushels of oats. They have about twenty acres of
land that has been cultivated the last forty years and this year
he got 55 bushels per acre off it. Burt county soil is hard to
beat.

Chris S. JENSEN was found at home. Mrs. J. is not very well
although up and around the house. Her grandmother Mrs. SCARLET,
has been very ill but all are pleased to learn that she is now
able to be up again.

Mr. REMINGTON is a farmer that deserves special mention as a
breeder of Poland China hogs. A year ago, he went to Modale, Iowa,
and bought several hogs of E. H. WADE. Among the number was a male
(Chief Tecumseh 3d jr.21509.) This hog was by the hog that took
first prize at the Trans-Missippi Exposition two years ago. Mr. R.
was unable to supply the demand he had for stock hogs this year.
Stop was made here for dinner and arrangements made with Miss Mary
REMINGTON to be the Journal correspondent from that neighborhood.
So if you know anything don't keep it to yourself but tell our
news gatherers.

Harve DENNY, who lives on one of Chris DENNY's farms, is
hauling his corn and selling it to the Nelson Morris ranch. He
raised about 5.000 bushels but had bad luck and lost his hogs with
cholera and so is obliged to sell his corn.

At CRUTSINGER'S the Pilgrim was glad to find that Mrs.
CRUITSINGER to be up and around the house after six week'
sickness. Mr. C. took a trip to Missouri this winter with a view
of locating there, but says that Burt county is good enough for
him.

C. W. REINHART has a very pleasant little home; good lands,
good house and plenty of outbuildings to make everything handy and
comfortable. He has about two carloads of cattle on full feed and
they are nice ones.

At the old HART place the Pilgrim found Mr. McKERCHER who is
feeding cattle for OLLIE, who was away. They have 140 head of
steers on full feed and they are a fine bunch of cattle too.

At the old DENNY homestead the Pilgrim found August ANDERSON.
He is a very strong populist and not afraid to express his ideas
but judging from the appearance of the place he does not spend
much time talking politics.

Henry COOPER, after the Pilgrim has succedded in convincing him
that he was not a book agent, sent his shotgun back to the house
and was one of the most sociable fellows on the route. Mr. COOPER
served three years in the civil war, and from disability
therefrom, draws a neat little pension. He has a nice farm and
everything fixed comfortable. Mr. COOPER advances an idea in
regard to hog cholera that is new to the Pilgrim. His herd had the
cholera three years ago and the progeny from the hogs that has the
disease and recovered, Mr. C. claims, are now exempt from the
disease. As proof he says his neighbor's hogs has the cholera the
past year but his hogs, although getting little sick, recovered
with the loss of but two or three.

Peter REINHART was found on his fine homestead, on which he has
resided for the past 33 years. Like all other early settlers he
has experienced all the pleasure and the disadvantages of early
pioneer life. By hard labor and excellent management he has
succeeded in securing about 900 acres of Burt county land. He will
now quit farming and move to Tekamah having already commenced the
erection of a fine residence in this city where he and his
estimable wife will enjoy a well earned rest. Frank REINHART,
their son will remain on the old home place and see that it gets
the attention that his father has given it for more than a quarter
century past.

The Tekamah Journal - Thursday, Feb. 15, 1900

THE PILGRIM

LATTA FARM

The Pilgrim at Geo. Lattas's and Other Fine
Farms of this vicinity.

THE JOURNAL AT DECATUR.

And still the Pilgrim journeys. Monday morning he left Tekamah
and made his first stop at the home of George LATTA. Here a
pleasant hour was spent viewing his commodious and convenient
yards and barns. First he showed his fat cattle. He has fifty-four
head and they are the fattest seen this year. Next the Pilgrim was
shown 136 head of yearlings that he is roughing through the winter
and they are good ones. He also has seventy head of two-year-olds
that will be fattened for market next year. His stronghold is hogs
of which he has 300 head of the Duroc-Jersey that look like money
bags around. The best part of Mr. Latta's stock business is that
he owns the stock himself and someone else is not going to pocket
the profits as fast as they accumulate. Among his fine drove of
horses he has a span of black Percheron mares five and six years
old that are fine. Mr. Latta is the only one in this part of the
country that commenced at the bottom and bred up until he has a
pair of mares eligible to registry. Through the courtesy of Mr.
and Mrs. Latta the Pilgrim was allowed to take a peep inside their
fine new residence and he could not help but call to mind the
times he has passed by there and remarked "there is a nice farm
house, but never until today did he know how comfortable and handy
everything was arranged. On entering the kitchen you find a large
kitchen range with hot and cold water attachments supplying the
house with hot and cold soft water. Next a fine bath room, then a
pleasant large dining room, sitting room and parlor. In going up
stairs you enter the library and while they have not got the
largest library in the country still they have a good collection
of wholesome reading matter that helps to pass away many a
pleasant hour. The house is heated by a furnace. Mr. L. has 885
acres of land in the home place and has 512 acres southwest of
Tekamah that he uses for pasture. He is also the president of the
Plateau Bank of Herman but he says farming is better to his liking
and he has built everything handy and comfortable as he intends to
spend the balance of his days on the farm. May Mr. and Mrs. Latta
live many long years to enjoy the comforts with which they have
surrounded themselves.

At the HOPEWELL-STREBLOW farm the latter was found busily
engaged with his varied duties. He informed the Pilgrim that he
manufac-red 85,085 pounds of milk into cheese and 30,000 pounds
into butter the past season. Their receipts from cheese was $700
and $100 from butter besides raising their calves which were sold
in November for $20 per head. They have just fixed up a nice
curing room for cheese next summer. They also have a flowing well
which supplies four tanks with a constant supply of cold water
saving the use of ice in summer. Mr. Streblow secured first
premium on his cheese at the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in '98.
They will add a few more buildings this summer and then they will
have one of the best arranged dairy farms in Nebraska. Mrs.
Streblow has gone back to her native land, Denmark, on a visit and
will return about April first.

On H. L. WEBSTER's Silver Creek farm we found Scott ELLIOTT and
Ben KYELGARD. Elliott will go onto the Jacob SNYDER farm this
spring and Kyelgard will move to the Webster Farm.

The Pilgrim stopped for dinner at the "County Farm" just to see
how he is going to like it. He was not shown the room he will have
to occupy but will not worry about his comfort if Mr. and Mrs.
LaRUE still have the management. They have had the management for
six years. There is now seven males and one female under their
charge. One old man by the name of HIGGINS is very sick at present
and his recovery is doubtful as he is 88 years of age.

The pilgrim has many more good things to tell of this trip and
will relate them next week.

The Tekamah Journal - Thursday, Feb. 22, 1900

THE PILGRIM

AN
OLDTIMER

The Pilgrim Interviews one of the Oldest Res-
idents of Burt County

NEWS ALONG THE ROUTE

Peter SWANSON was found busy making improvements at his place.
He has a large comfortable farm house and is now prepared to enjoy
the comforts that he and Mrs. Swanson have earned in the thirty
years they have been in Burt County. They have three sons at home
who look after the farm duties while on daughter, still at home,
looks after the work in the house. Mr. and Mrs. Swanson have a
large family of fine children several of whom are married and have
good homes of their own in that vicinity.

Albert GILBERT farms his father's place and during the fall is
one of the boys that operates the Swanson, Gilbert & Co. steam
thresher. This firm has an excellent outfit but before another
season they will add a Parson's self feeder thus saving the
farmers two extra men.

O. B. PRUSIE who lives in the Charles JOHNSON on the bluff
road, informs us that he has leased a piece of land of James
ASHLEY and will build a house in the spring.

R. MARROW has 260 acres of the fine land that he bought a few
years ago for $30 per acre which he would not now take $45 per
acre for. He has a fine home and fully appreciates Burt county
soil. Mr. M. is a good farmer, there being few, if any, better and
it goes without saying that he is making money

The Pilgrim stopped and chatted a while with Postmaster LANG at
Golden. Mr. L. bears his distinction of being the oldest living
Burt County pioneer. He came here in May, 1885, and the whole
region, found but five men camped on Tekamah creek where the city
of the same name now stands, and these men only remained a few
weeks. Two or three months later Major HARRINGTON with his family,
of which Col. Harrington, of this city, was a member, settled on
the townsite of Tekamah. Thus Col. Harrington is the second oldest
living settler. Mr. Lang is still hale and hearty; lives by
himself; does his own housekeeping; attends to his duties as
postmaster besides looking after his large land interest in that
vicinity. In the past he has filled public positions of trust and
to the past development of the county he has contributed his share
of both time and money.

The next stop was with Mr. BLANKENBECKLER on Chris DENNEY's
large Riverside ranch. These people have 228 head of cattle on
feed and about 100 hogs. They have thirty head of Herefords that
are the pride of both Mr. B. and Mr. Denny (sic). Mr.
Blankenbeckler has had eight years experience as an auctioneer and
guarantees satisfaction to any one that may require his services.

A stop was made at Peter LASS at Lake Quinnebaug (sic). He has
been doing well financially since moving up there and has a fine
bunch of 24 cows and 30 yearlings which he is offering for sale at
reasonable prices.

The BARKs boys were found on the John GILLICK farm. They have
decided to quit farming and will sell what farm machinery they
have. Ben will move to Tekamah and Will will go and work in the
machine shops at Council Bluffs. Mr. LUDWIG will move onto the
place and also move his sawmill up there in the spring.

Mr. and Mrs. BRINK will move to Fremont this spring. Mr. Brink
was over there when the Pilgrim called, having gone over with a
load of goods. The people of Quinnebaug (sic) neighborhood are
sorry to lose two such good people as they are.

Call was made on Mr. and Mrs. WILLIAMS on their farm at the
east end of the lake. Mr. W. says he will sell his place if he can
and move south where the climate is more mild.

Sam PETERSON had a very serious accident some weeks ago. He was
opening the gate for his team to pass through when he slipped and
fell under the wagon. The wheel passed over his head breaking the
jaw in two places and loosening all the teeth on one side. He was
also bruised about the chest quite badly. The Pilgrim found him
sitting up but unable to eat anything but soup and gruels. He
could talk some, but if he tried to laugh it was very painful,
especially so, when the kicking horse he once traded to the
Pilgrim was alluded to; this was the only time Sam's conscience
ever troubled him much so he is forgiven freely and the Pilgrim
hopes he may soon recover and be around again.

J. KENDALL is monarch of all he surveys. He owns and leases
about 1600 acres of accretion land and has it all fenced. It is
too sandy for farming but makes very good pasturage and he expects
to pasture about 250 head of cattle this year.

The Pilgrim fed at Camp Omaha, Lake Quinebaugh's popular hotel,
which is now under the management of Mr. and Mrs. TWIFORD. These
people are the right people in the place. Mr. T. is talking of
making a good half mile track and also of fixing up a baseball
park to add to the amusements at the lake the coming season.

Frank HOLMAN, proprietor of the Lake Quinnebaug (sic) supply
store, has added much to the appearance of that place. In the
spring he will add a much larger stock than he now carries. For
the accommodation of his customers he has inaugurated a mail
service, having a carrier who brings the mail from Golden, on
Tuesdays and Fridays. He also has telephone connections with the
long distance system, thus giving the lake daily communication
with the outside world.

George FLETCHER, the blacksmith and wagon maker, was found
busy. In fact he says he is busy most of his time. George is a
good workman and merits the patronage of the people of that
community.

Howard BARCUS will be the JOURNAL correspondent at Lake
Quinnebaug (sic), go tell him your troubles.

The Pilgrim called on M. V. OWENS, and on the start was
informed by him that he swore by note and in fact the Pilgrim
could not see that he skipped any notes. Mr. Owens says his health
is poor; that he is unable to attend to his farm and so has rented
it this year. He has a very fine farm house, built last year, and
he has it nicely furnished on the inside. He is one of the
substantial farmers of Burt county.

Last week an accident happened at the county poor farm that
came very near proving serious at least for one person. The doctor
had left some medicine for a patient also some carbolic acid.
While Mr. LaRUE was in town and Mrs. LaRue was out, one of the
inmates, a simple minded fellow, took a dose of carbolic acid. His
life was saved by Mrs. LaRue who gave him large quantities of milk
and melted lard.